1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to an improved data processing system, and in particular to a method and system for associating data sets with a multimedia presentation operating within a data processing system. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a method and system for associating stored data sets with an animated element depicted in a multimedia presentation and for notifying a user of the existence of an associated data set during a relevant portion of the multimedia presentation.
2. Description of the Related Art
Computer systems are capable of communicating information with humans in many formats, including: text, graphics, sounds (including high-fidelity stereo), animated graphics, synthesized speech, and video. A multimedia presentation utilizes a data processing system to combine such information formats into often coherent and comprehensive presentation.
In known data processing systems, an additional data set may be linked to textual information. For example, utilizing "hypertext," the existence of an additional data set associated with a selected portion of text may be indicated in several ways, such as highlighting or underlining the selected text. The information associated with such selected text may also be accessed in several ways, for example, by utilizing a pointing device, such as a mouse, and clicking the mouse while the indicator is positioned on the highlighted text. After selecting highlighted text, the user may be presented with a list of additional relevant textual data sets. After choosing from such a list, additional textual information may be displayed in a new window.
For example, if the word "elephant" appears in an encyclopedic article about India (note text is underlined or differentiated in some manner from the surrounding text), a user may elect to access an article about elephants by positioning a graphical indicator, such as a mouse pointer, over the word, and clicking the mouse button. This selection process may then open another window within the display containing textual information about elephants.
In prior art systems, textual information having such a link to other data sets is static in nature. That is, the link with a particular passage of text always exists. While hypertext works well for textual information, in a multimedia environment it would be beneficial to link a multimedia presentation to another relevant data set and to allow such a link to be accessed only during a relevant period of time. That is, the link with an associated data set may only be active during a relevant portion of the multimedia presentation.
In view of the above, it should be appreciated that a need exists for a method and system for graphically indicating, during a relevant period of a multimedia presentation, the existence of a data set, stored in a data processing system, which is associated with an animated element within a multimedia presentation, wherein a system user may elect to view or listen to the associated data set by selecting one or more of the available data sets.